Beautiful, bold, and brilliant Avery dreams of becoming a member of the Royal Astronomical Society—and the only way she can join the all-male society is to disguise herself as a boy. After helping Giles, Lord Strand, escape a disastrous engagement, she is certain he will assist in her daring masquerade. No lady would ever come up with such a preposterous scheme, and no gentleman would accept…but fortunately for Avery, Giles is no gentleman.

A bargain is struck between the stargazing adventuress and society's most sophisticated lord. He will sponsor her as his prodigy and she will cover for him as he hunts London's darkest warrens for a missing colleague from his shadowy past. But time and again, Giles finds his quest compromised by his fierce and unwise attraction to the lovely girl who, though no lady, may well be the one dame to finally unlock the secrets of his heart.

A woman compelled. A man obsessed. A love that defies king and country.

In the glittering world of Regency England, Anne Wilder plays a dangerous game. A widowed lady by day, by night she becomes a masked thief preying on society's elite. She roves high above London's black rooftops, compelled by phantoms from her past to take ever greater risks. Until her restless spirit leads her into Colonel Jack Seward's trap...where seduction may be her only way out.

She plays him for a fool, taking advantage of his hungry response to escape from his clutches. But as Jack hunts for the thief, his heart falls captive to a self-possessed widow. Torn between illicit passion and tender love, Jack is duty-bound to capture the audacious criminal, even if it means ripping society apart to do so. Now, he stalks her through the town, never realizing the lovely widow who captured his heart is the same woman who roused his most violent passions.

"Gwen's mother was ecstatic.

Gwen was miserable.

She hated crowds, hated having to talk with people she did not know. She did not enjoy dancing with strangers, and the mere thought of being at the center of anyone's attention was terrifying.

She spent a great deal of time standing in corners, trying not to be noticed."

I like this girl! This is probably how I would react to being a debutante, not going to lie here.

(Testing general Booklikes stability here. Fingers crossed, but stuff is loading and that's a nice start.)